On The Good Ship Lollipop
by Mishiko Shinsei
Summary: AU. Yugi is looking for that which was lost. Rated for later chapters. Disclaimer: Just own the words, not the folks.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Just own the words, not the folks.

**I've thrown away my toys**

Spring comes early in my 17th year of life. At least it seems early to me. Granted, I've spent most of the last five years sacked away at boarding schools, so perhaps spring actually arrived properly according to Domino time. Standing on my balcony, I inhale the sweet scent of nature's re-awakening, feeling the crisp edge of winter still present in the morning breeze. April 1st; my first day at Domino High. I'm now a third year ready to graduate and I really don't know what to expect. My schooling, for the most part, has been in very isolated, opulent and private settings, surrounded by spoiled rich brats whose exaggerated self-pity left a bad taste in my mouth. I have no friends. I have no family I want to acknowledge. I have no twin to my soul anymore. I am alone.

Fighting the urge to wallow, I quickly shower and dress, heading out to the waiting limo. The bastard and bitch think my first day at Domino High should be treated as a special occasion since I'll be going to her alma mater. They'd planned to have Curtis drop me at the entrance, making a show of opening the door for me, bowing reverently, etc.

Little do they know…

"Curtis?"

"Yes, Master Crawford?"

"I keep telling you not to call me that."

"Yes, Master Cr--. Yes, Master Yugi."

"Better, but Yugi is just fine."

"Yes, Master Yugi."

I can see that I'm not going to get him to crack this time. I'll just have to keep at it.

"Whatever. Listen, Curtis, drop me off a few blocks away. I want to walk up like a regular person."

"But Mr. Crawford said…"

"I know what he said, but you're my driver, not his. I don't want all that pomp and circumstance. It'll be hard enough to blend in with this hair."

My hair is the bane of my existence. The tri-colored mop never strays from its perpetual spikes above my head.

Except for that one time, about a month after the incident, when I'd shorn it off in a fit of rage and grief. But most of the time, I'm cursed with its neon-sign like ability to draw crowds.

'_Wow, how'd you get those colors?'_

'_How'd you get it to do that?'_

'_Get away from me, you freak!'_

Are the three most common greetings I receive everywhere I go. I expect Domino High School will be no different. In fact, it'll probably be worse.

"As you wish, Master Yugi," Curtis replies, his interruption allowing me to chase away more disparaging thoughts. I quickly climb from the limo when he stops, making sure my uniform is straight before throwing on my backpack and heading down the block.

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Sitting in the office waiting to be directed to my new class, I casually look around the room. A glass case with several awards catches my eye. Quietly I get up, leaving my backpack in the chair and step toward it. As I get closer, I'm a bit disturbed by how much like a shrine it seems. Every academic award, plaque and trophy bears the name of one student, Seto Kaiba.

Kaiba. Where have I heard that name before? As I think on it a bit, a memory surfaces.

I was supposed to have been asleep, but I was restless and thirsty. I couldn't have been more than ten. I'd decided after a glass of water to take a walk in the garden. My…father was there, talking to someone in the shadows. He was gloating.

"_With the technology created by that Kaiba boy, we'll rule the gaming industry!"_

I'd run off after that other person had started laughing, afraid I'd get caught.

"He was the pride of our school," the principal notes behind me, breaking into my reverie.

"Oh?" I reply.

"Yes, it's a shame about what happened to him," he sighs dramatically.

"What?"

"The poor thing lost his mind," he whispers, glancing around as though it were a crime to speak of it.

"Lost his mind," I echo.

"Yes," he continues in that conniving whisper. "They say the line between genius and insanity is thin and one day he crossed it."

"Mm hmm," I reply, though it sounds like a fairy tale to me.

"Well, enough about that," he chirps, clapping his hands together. "Let's get you to class."

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"Students," my homeroom teacher begins, drawing attention to us, "I'd like you to meet your new classmate, Yugi Crawford. Mr. Crawford, tell us a little about yourself."

I've always hated talking about myself. At least since that day I have. I continue to stand silently, trying to think of something to say that won't make me look like an idiot.

'How about I'm only here so my parents could show off,' I think to myself. 'Or maybe I could tell them that they're only meeting half of me.'

"Mr. Crawford," the teacher prods.

"Mr. Crawford is my father," I spit. "I'm just Yugi. And yes the hair is real."

Well, I avoided idiot and slid straight into asshole. I didn't mean to react so strongly, but thinking about my father always angers me.

"That's alright, Mr. Crawford," the teacher placates. "Everyone gets a little nervous on their first day. You may take the empty seat in the third row. Mr. Kaiba, please take your feet off of Mr. Crawford's desk."

As I approach the indicated seat, a guy with wild black hair pulled into a very long, bushy tail sits up from his sprawl, with a snort of "Whatever."

He smirks at me as his combat boots slide to the floor.

After taking my place and moving to pull my books from my backpack, I notice the prominent, black scuff marks across the top of the desk.

Casting a disapproving eye at the obvious delinquent, I wait until the teacher has her back to us before gesturing for the leather-clad punk to lean closer.

"I expect that you will clean that off," I whisper, indicating the scuffmarks.

Though I wasn't that keen on being here, I wanted to at least have a clean desk. And I've had enough run-ins with foul-tempered, rich idiots that a regular bully means nothing to me. Without Yami to protect me anymore, I've had to take care of myself for several years now.

He looks shocked for a moment before startling me with a bark of laughter, which draws all eyes to us.

"You've got some balls, Crawford. I'll say that," he exclaims loudly. "Don't you know who I am?"

I narrow my eyes. I won't be intimidated by this guy. He looks only a few inches taller than me and he's not much bulkier. I could probably take him if I had to. Maybe I will, just to piss off bastard and bitch.

"What's to know? You're a loud-mouthed punk with an obvious leather fetish," I sneer, indicating the dark blue leather pants and jacket he's wearing over a black, long-sleeved, button-down, which is visible at the edges of the high color of his jacket and its sleeves.

His response of a mostly feigned look of shock irritates me enough to continue.

"It's beyond me how you get away with wearing that anyway," I scoff, folding my arms and leaning back in my chair.

Surprisingly, he throws back his head and laughs loudly. Slate-gray eyes settle on mine after a short time, a chillingly cool smile adorning his lips.

"I like you, Crawford," he nods. "I think we'll be great friends."

"Yay me," I reply sarcastically, earning a much warmer smile that reflects in his eyes.

"Mr. Crawford," the teacher interjects, "I must ask that you not disrupt my class again or you will be sent to the principal's office."

"Yes, sir," I mumble, noting Kaiba's smirk of superiority.

I guess his parents are important enough that he 'doesn't get into trouble at school'. Great. I'm in the same sort of place I just left. I was hoping a public school would be different.

Lunch finally rolls around and I head to the cafeteria to see what swill is being served. Deciding on a medium bento box, I head to an empty table in the corner, planning to eat alone.

I look up from my first bite of surprisingly well-cooked rice to see a trio of fairly tall guys heading my way. Wonderful. They could have at least waited until I've had my first meal to start harassing me.

All three take seats around me and begin eating quietly. I recognize them from my class this morning. I guess they're all third years too.

"That was freakin' brave of you, man," the one with short brown hair tosses.

"I'll say," the blonde echoes with a chuckle.

"No one talks to Kaiba like that and just walks away," the third of the group, a raven-hared teen with a colorful headband finishes.

"You're not from around here, are you," the blonde questions.

"Why? 'Cause I didn't lick some guys boots?"

"He's not just some guy," the brown-haired one replies. "He's Mokuba Kaiba! His dad practically runs Domino!"

"Oh, so because he comes from money, I should fear him?"

"Actually freak," a green-haired, be-speckled squirt interjects, "you should fear the ass-kicking he's gonna give you."

"Don't jerks like you have any other way to insult me about my hair?" I sigh, exasperatingly. "'Freak' is so overdone."

Eyeglass boy smirks.

"Whatever freak. I'm just here to deliver a message. Mr. Kaiba will meet you in front of the school at 4:15pm. Don't be late."

He spins on his heels and disappears into the crowded lunchroom.

"Idiot," I murmur, going back to my lunch. Like I have time to sit around waiting for some bully.

"You're a dead man," raven-hair whispers. I glare at him.

"You guys may be scared of that punk, but I'm not," I retort. "And I'm not meeting him anywhere."

"You're gonna skip?" the blonde questions incredulously.

"Of course! I'm not his flunky! I have to get home. I still have a lot of work to do to find…" I clam up and go back to my lunch.

Whoops! Almost let the cat out of the bag. I can't let every Tom, Dick and Harry know about my quest to find Yami and bring him back to me.

Gods, Yami. It's been so long, almost nine years since we were last together. And I'm no closer to finding you now than I was then!

"Dude, it's a really bad idea to cross Kaiba," the brunette warns, interrupting my thoughts.

"Whatever," I scoff, suddenly not hungry anymore.

After dumping out what's left of my lunch, I head back to class for the remaining lessons, though I admit missing at least a third of them as I brood about Yami. I'd hoped that a different school setting would mean that I'd have more to distract me from the pain. So far, that isn't the case.

Still, it's only the first day. Maybe I'll have better luck tomorrow.

I call Curtis to pick me up a few blocks away from the school and get home early enough to finish all of my homework before dinner.

"So, how was your first day of school, Yugi?" the bitch gushes. "I hope you didn't do anything to embarrass me."

"Of course not, Mother," I smile, knowing she hates it when I call her that.

"Well, that's good," she waves dismissively. "I had reservations about sending you to a public high school, but once I found out that Domino still maintained the high standards it had when I attended, I knew you'd be just fine there."

She and that bastard go off on a tangent about "schools of today" while I force down my meal. It's not that the food is bad; it's actually quite delicious. It's just that sometimes I can't stomach being around them. I hear their voices and all I can think about is that night and my soul being torn in half.

"_Yami! No, Yami!" _I'd cried, straining against the arms of my assailants.

"_Yugi..." _my twin had struggled as oddly clothed others dragged him away.

"_YAAMIII!!" _I'd screamed, fighting harder as the front door had slammed behind them.

After the hired hands had released me, I'd turned on my father.

"_You bastard! Bring him back! Bring him back, now!"_

But my father had merely smiled condescendingly and walked away.

After my other self had been ripped away, I'd awakened sobbing from that nightmarish memory every night for weeks. I'd felt so empty and more afraid than I'd ever been in my life. That incident proved to me that I could never trust anyone. After all, if I can't trust my own parents, then who can I trust?

I glance up at their animated faces, forcing down a sneer of contempt.

Pegasus and Cyndia Crawford. Mom and Dad. Bastard and Bitch. They aren't my real parents, but they're the only parents I've known since infancy.

Somehow, I'll make them pay for the soul-searing pain and hollow feelings I still endure, but not until I've found a way to get Yami back.

Nothing can happen to them until then.

Not able to finish my plate, I leave the table without asking to be excused and run up to my room. I slam the door behind me and lean heavily against it, barely keeping my meal from returning.

Once I stop shaking, I head for the shower, chucking my school uniform as I go. The hot water on my head and back calm me down enough so that I can do what I do every night before I go to bed; look for Yami.

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Though I'm so sleepy I can barely function, my second day at school starts out on a very positive note. It took me most of the night, but I found a new clue to Yami's whereabouts.

After hacking my father's mainframe at work, I found a file, an encrypted file, which I hadn't seen before. I was only able to decipher the name of the file, 'Removal and relocation,' and Yami's name somewhere in the ensuing jumble of computer code before I got too sleepy to continue, but that's more than enough, considering I'd gotten nothing at all for the past three months.

I can't help the smile on my face as I head toward my classroom after stopping off at my locker. On the way, I notice several students pointing at me and whispering. Hmm. It took them a whole two days to start talking about my hair instead of the scant hour and a half it took at the last school. Maybe things will be better here, at least a little.

Stepping into the classroom, my upbeat mood wanes a little when I see Kaiba sitting with his feet on top of my desk again. Great. I guess this is where I get threatened for not bowing to his will yesterday. And my day started so well too. The few students in the classroom early whisper about my fate as I walk by.

"Get your feet off my desk, Kaiba," I assert, dropping my backpack and taking my seat.

"You didn't come to see me yesterday, Crawford," he frowns, completely ignoring my request. "I'm hurt."

"Whatever. Feet off my desk," I repeat.

Instead of moving them, he uncrosses and re-crosses his legs.

"No," he declares, eyes narrowed in challenge.

Gods.

It's only my _second day_… At the last school, nobody tried to fight me for two whole weeks! And if I fight this guy, it'll completely ruin my mood. Not to mention I'll probably get sent to the principal's office, he'll call that bastard at work, and then I'll lose valuable time in my search when he removes my computer as punishment as he'd threatened before school began.

Maybe I should just let this go. I need my computer too much right now.

But when I look up to Kaiba's smug sneer, it reminds me of all the other bullies in my life and how I've had to fight to stay strong to find Yami. Standing slowly, I knock his feet from my desk, enjoying the look of shock on his face as he almost falls out of the chair before regaining his balance.

The collective gasp of the students acts as the signal for our fight to begin.

I began martial arts training at the age of three. The bastard thought I would look cute, so he enrolled me in a karate class. I loved it. And I loved when he put me in Tae Kwon Do at age seven, and Akido at age nine. I entered the Ju-jitsu and Judo classes on my own at ages eleven and twelve. I've earned several black belts in three of the five arts I practice and a brown in the other two.

Honestly, I thought Kaiba would be all bluster like the other bullies I've dealt with in my life. However, despite being able to properly draw on my skills with deadly accuracy, Kaiba wipes the floor with me in surprisingly short order.

We both wind up at Domino Memorial being treated for lacerations and broken bones, my left wrist and his right hand, from when we'd both tried to pull the same move from opposite sides. After an overnight stay 'for observation' since we'd also both hit our heads on hard surfaces at some point, we are sent home.

The ride with my mother and father back home is eerily silent. Mom's not looking at me and Dad's staring at me with narrowed angry eyes. Once we're in the house, the silent treatment continues. I head up to my room, expecting my computer to be gone. I'm completely unprepared for what I find instead.

My room looks like a hurricane went through it.

Clothes from my closet and dresser are strewn all over, the drapes at the window are torn, my desk and chair are turned over, the sheets have been ripped from my bed, the lamp and my nightstand have been shoved to the floor and instead of my computer being removed, it's lying in several pieces in front of my dresser.

"Your mother was a little upset," the bastard offers into my stunned silence, before chuckling to himself down the hall.

It's later the next night that I allow the feeling of loss to overcome me. I've served one of my two days of suspension, cleaned my room enough to function in it, and endured one more day of my mother refusing to acknowledge my presence when I allow reality to re-assert itself.

I didn't expect my computer to be destroyed. And I didn't expect the bastard to refuse to get me a new one and force me to use the one in his study instead. It doesn't have the software I need to crack that encrypted file. And it's always monitored.

Sure I have everything backed up on disk and thumb drives hidden under the floor of my closet, but without a computer…Forget setting my search back, they've ended it completely! There has to be another way to find Yami. There has to be! I can't just give up!

Try as I might, I get very little sleep that night, consequently, my mood is in the toilet as I arrive at school Friday morning. It also doesn't help that my parents found out that I'd had Curtis dropping me off a few blocks from school and threatened to fire him if he doesn't take me to the front door every day from now on. Angrily, I step from the limo to wide-eyes, outright stares and discreet whispers.

I storm through the halls to my locker, ignoring the pointing and whispering around me. Operating with a busted wrist is annoying, but at least it isn't my writing hand, though getting my books is a little challenging with the cast on.

Kaiba's already at his desk when I go in the classroom, but he looks different since the last time I saw him. Before, his hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, now it's all over his head and covering half of his face. It's startling, but not quite as startling as my desk; there are no scuff marks on the top and Kaiba's boots aren't on it.

"What gives?" I raise my eyebrow at him. "We both know that you wiped the floor with me, so why'd you clean my desk?"

"What makes you so sure I cleaned it, Crawford?" he smirks.

"Right, like anyone else would have defied you and done it?" I scoff.

He smiles and leans back, putting his sneaker-clad feet on top of my desk.

"I'm too tired and too bruised to fight, Kaiba. Please move your feet."

"I'm comfortable. Wait 'til class starts," he grins coolly.

"Whatever," I snicker at him.

"I knew we'd make great friends, Crawford," he asserts, gracing me with that same warm smile from Monday.

I can't help but shake my head and smile back. Ignoring his feet, I sit down and pull out my books. True to his word, he puts his feet down once class starts.

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I'm eating lunch with the same three guys, Otogi, the one with the headband, Honda, the shorthaired brunette and Jonouchi, the blond, when Kaiba comes over to our table.

"Maybe if I extend the invitation myself you'll show up, Crawford," he smirks, standing over me.

Predictably my lunch mates practically piss themselves before making up random excuses and scrambling away. Kaiba laughs loudly at their retreating forms, and then flops down in front of me.

"So, what do you say?" he mumbles around a pilfered French fry of my western style lunch of a hamburger and fries.

I look up to answer him and notice the black eye. He must have been in another fight because I never hit him in the face.

"What happened?" I nod to indicate his eye.

"What?"

"How'd you get a black eye?"

In a blink, his whole demeanor changes. An angry scowl twists his face from the open and amiable sight it was before as he stands and knocks my lunch halfway across the room.

"That's none of your fucking business, Crawford," he snarls. "You'd just better be there today at 4:15 pm sharp or I promise you'll regret it."

He storms away from the table, students jumping out of his way in fright.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Just own the words, not the folks.

**Even my drum and train**

I get to the spot to meet Mokuba 10 minutes early; not out of fear, but because I want to get this farce over with quickly. Using the spare time, I call Clarence and tell him that I have an after-school activity that will make me late and that I'll call him when I'm ready to be picked up.

"Yes, Master Crawford," he defers, falling back to that hated name because my parents ordered it.

"Right, I'm going then," I murmur before hanging up on his simpering response.

"I knew you'd come if I asked you to," the Kaiba heir intones behind me.

"You have an interesting way of 'asking' for things," I snort, none too pleased with this situation.

"Let's go," he commands lightly, completely ignoring my statement as he saunters off toward his waiting limo.

"And if I don't," I retort, crossing my arms defiantly.

"Come on, Crawford. I won't bite. Besides, my father won't be home and we can have some fun," he grins.

"You're psychotic," I glare.

He simply shrugs and keeps walking. With a resigned sigh, I follow behind, my curiosity and genuine enjoyment of deciphering the puzzle that is Mokuba Kaiba spurring me on.

We arrive at his house in little under an hour after a silent ride punctuated by a short detour to Kaiba Corp.

"Sorry for the detour," he offers casually as we step inside the massive front foyer. "I had to check in with my father since he'll be leaving for a week-long business trip this evening."

I nod absently in dumbstruck awe.

My family isn't poor by any means and we live in an extravagant, 12-bedroom house, with a state-of-the-art movie theatre that seats 100, game room large enough to house 2 regulation pool tables, 6 regulation arcade games, a regulation ping-pong table, a 5 player DDR game and 4 different video game systems in their own alcove. We also have tennis, basketball, volleyball and badminton courts as well as an Olympic-sized pool and separate servant's quarters.

But, looking around at what must be a triple-wide marble staircase, heading up from a marble floor that stretches off into the distance at three separate angles, I realize that half of my house could fit inside it! Clearly, I didn't know what I was talking about when I called this massive mansion a 'house.'

"Not you too," Mokuba whines petulantly.

Wait…whines?

"I thought you'd be different," he continues with a sigh at my gaping shock. "But it seems that you're just as impressed and cowed by our wealth as the rest of them."

Impressed? Hell yes.

Cowed? I need to set that record straight right now.

"Well, it is an impressively big house," I concur. "But it doesn't mean that you didn't deserve that attitude adjustment last week."

After his own moment of shock, Mokuba throws back his head and laughs loudly, the sound echoing eerily around us.

"Damn, Crawford! You're really not afraid of me are you?" he laughs.

"No," I quickly acknowledge.

"Heh. Come on. Let me show you my room," he grins, heading toward the marble masterpiece before us. Still intrigued by the raven-haired enigma I follow without hesitation.

As I step onto the third stair, I peer over the ornate railing and see that there is another huge hallway behind the staircase stretching even farther off into the distance.

Did I say half of my house? I obviously meant three-quarters.

"You live here by yourself?" I inquire as we head down another long hallway on the third level, after passing 7 bedrooms in this wing alone.

Yes. Wing.

Even adding in my father's studio that takes up the entire 4th floor of our house, my wealthy reality pales in comparison to this one.

"There's just me and my father now," Mokuba's reply pulls me from staring wide-eyed into the biggest library I've ever seen. "And a few servants. But they never come out unless I or my father calls for them. My father likes it that way."

My mind catches on a single word of his response. He said that it's just him and his father "now."

All at once my first day at Domino High comes to my mind and the trophy case filled to the brim in the Principal's office.

A gasp of recognition mingles with my gasp of amazement as I follow Mokuba into a bedroom the size of our tennis court. Various shades of blue, from cobalt to navy, cover every wall, window and the floor, intermingling quite creatively with the medium copper finish on all furnishings and accessories.

I'm surprised by the humongous canopied bed situated in the middle of the room between a pair of intricately exquisite French doors, though I'm not sure if it's because of it's size or because of the canopy.

A desk larger than the one my father has at his office adorns a corner; the newest PC and Mac personal computers and several very large screens covering the bulk of it. The entertainment center, which obviously doubles as a gaming area takes up an entire wall on the other side of the room. Placed tastefully around the room are comfortable looking couches and chairs, appointed with matching tables and foot rests.

"Are you done staring?" Mokuba's clear voice cuts into my assessment of his space.

"I'm sure that I'm not the only person whose been awed by your bedroom, so cut me some slack," I scoff.

"As you're the first person that I've ever brought here, I wouldn't know," he tosses off-handedly.

"What?" I gape.

"I've tried to have 'friends' over," he expounds, his derision for those so-called friends evident in his tone. "But the moment they saw the mansion as we pulled up to it, I could see that they only cared about my wealth and power. Some made it into the front door before they got that same look that you had earlier and started babbling about how 'cool' I was and 'how great it must be to live here.' You're the first person who's been honest with me."

Turning on his heel, he disappears into a doorway, which I assume is the bathroom until I spot the doorway to it near the desk. Taking a chance, I follow him into what must be the largest walk in closet on the planet. It even has a second floor!

"How can you stand all of this…this…opulence?" I question incredulously.

His laughter precedes his answer once again.

"See? Complete honesty!" he snickers, walking down the flight of 6 stairs from the next storey.

"Does that mean that you're going to answer my question?" I smile politely.

"It's not like I have a choice," he scoffs, breezing past me back into the bedroom, a pair of jeans and a t-shirt draped over one arm.

Before I can say anything else he's heading into the bathroom.

"I'm taking a shower," he calls through the door. "Make yourself at home until I come out."

As soon as the bathroom door closes and I hear the shower start, I make a beeline to the desk and the multiple computer systems and monitors gracing its surface. Sitting down in plush leather chair, I'm surprised that I'm not drooling like a dog as I ogle the impressive hardware. Chancing that I could have my other wrist broken, I turn on the PC, knowing full well that someone like Kaiba would have it password protected.

I'm staring at the foreboding screen and wondering how fast I could hack his password, when he startles me with, "You're kind of nosey aren't you, Crawford?"

I swear I must jump three feet out of the chair before scrambling away from him, earning myself another round of laughter. That's probably the biggest reason Mokuba likes having me around; comic relief.

"Man, Crawford! You're more entertaining than anyone I've ever met! You're better than TV!" he snickers loudly.

Hn. Looks like I was right about the comic relief.

"Sorry for snooping," I apologize. "It's such a nice system and I just wanted to look at it. That's all."

"Uh-huh," he scoffs. "You were trying to figure out if you could crack my password before I came out, weren't you?"

Busted! I look away without replying.

"It's not like you could have anyway," he expounds, taking up residence in the comfortable chair. "My brother created this system and the safeguards to it. You'd only embarrass yourself."

"Is that so?" I challenge.

My answer is a decidedly feral grin. One that's more chilling than I'd like to admit.

"You think that you're a match for my brother?" he snarls, his tone similar to the one he had when I asked about his eye earlier today.

Suddenly I realize that he's pulled his mane of hair back into a ponytail again, revealing the obvious shiner. Did his brother hit him? Is that why he's so defensive about it?

I open my mouth to ask, but decide against it. I'm not really keen on having him break anything else on my body, which I have the sneaking suspicion he would do if I even suggested something like that. I suppose it's that his eyes and face showed respect and admiration when he first mentioned his brother.

"Is your brother Seto Kaiba? I saw a trophy case full of his awards in the principal's office," I venture, hoping that my implied praise will be enough to keep him from punishing me for my earlier challenge of the other's abilities.

He tenses suddenly, frowning in contemplation.

"I think it's time for you to go, Crawford," he murmurs.

"Wha-?"

"It's been fun, but you need to go home now. I'll expect to see you at the same time tomorrow," he continues, turning away from me.

"Wait a minute! I'm not your flunky," I assert. "You can't just order me around!"

"Of course I can," he smirks. "Honma will escort you out and take you back home."

"Who –"

"Yes, Kaiba-sama," a voice interrupts me from across the room.

I spin around to see what I assume is the chauffer standing in the doorway. When the hell did he get here?

"I called him before my shower," Mokuba answers my unvoiced question. "His orders were to come and get you in 15 minutes. Your time is up."

"You -"

"This way Crawford-sama," Honma bows and gestures.

"Why are you doing this," I frown at Mokuba. "Why all this…this…drama?"

"Drama? The only one with any drama here is you Crawford. Now, go on home and I'll see you tomorrow."

Turning in a huff, I move to follow the driver.

"Oh, hey, Crawford!" Mokuba's call stops me and I look over my shoulder to see what he wants. "Be ready to spend the night tomorrow since it's the weekend. I'll show you my computer."

"Bastard," I grumble under my breath, fully intent on doing just that. After all, maybe I can use his computer to help find Yami.

* * *

"I won't allow it," the bitch declares over dinner that night. "You are still on punishment."

I'd stated that my friend had suggested I stay over to study for some imaginary test. I hadn't elaborated to include said friend's name or in which class the supposed test would occur.

"I must agree, Yugi," the bastard echoes. "It's inappropriate for you to be granted such privileges at this time; even for academic purposes."

Hm. I guess it's time to see if my parents are as afraid of the Kaiba name as my classmates.

"Fine," I grumble, poking at my food. "I'll let Kaiba-sama know tomorrow."

Hearing my mother's gasp of shock and seeing the wide-eyed fear flash across my father's face is completely worth pretending I think Mokuba is that important.

"K-Kaiba-sama?" the bitch stutters. "The friend you are talking about is Kaiba-sama's son?"

"Yes," I nod, lowering my eyes in a show of respect, while trying mot to laugh out loud at their expressions.

"Well, as Kaiba-sama is a well respected member of the community, I'm certain it will be alright for you to spend the night studying with his son," the bastard flutters. I swear, if I didn't know better, I'd bet that my father was deep in the closet.

"In fact," he continues in that same futter, "as it's the weekend, you may stay until Monday, if Kaiba-sama so chooses."

"Thank you," I bow lightly. "I'm glad not to disappoint Kaiba-sama."

"No, we wouldn't want that," the bitch pipes up brightly. "I'm so proud of you for making such an important friend so quickly! If you'd only met him before you started that fight with that hoodlum!"

I nearly choke on my food trying not to laugh. What would they do if they knew that the 'Kaiba-sama' they're fawning over is the hoodlum!

I finish my meal in silence as my 'parents' continue to expound on the 'virtues of Kaiba-sama and his son' and how proud they are of me for 'making such an important friend.'

Excusing myself once I'm done, I swiftly return to my room, trying all the while not to lose my meal.

As annoying as Mokuba is, I'm looking forward to spending a night somewhere other than this house.

* * *

"You're early again, Crawford," Mokuba observes as he walks up to me. "And I see you brought your overnight bag as instructed."

"Of course I'm early, Saturday is only a half day, remember? And I'm not your flunky, Kaiba!" I snap back.

He laughs and heads off toward his limo. I actually wasn't sure if he'd show, since I didn't see him at school today. Several of my classmates expressed their own surprise at seeing me in class and unharmed. I guess Mokuba's lunchtime tantrum made the gossip rounds. I wisely didn't mention that I'd been inside Mokuba's house; not house, mansion. 'House' is just so inadequate. I made up something about getting 'a talking to' and that he'd called me out again today for more. They all murmured in worry, offering condolences and hopes that I'd be okay.

Otogi, Honda and Jounouchi sat with me for a few minutes after school ended. Thankfully, they talked about everything but Mokuba, so I found it rather pleasant. And the rice was really good again too.

Placing my overnight bag on the seat beside me, I make myself comfortable for the short trip to the Kaiba mansion.

"I had to work today," Mokuba explains. "Whenever my father isn't there, I act in his stead, though I don't do much more than warm his chair. He doesn't trust me with anything important. Not like he used to trust Seto."

I'd been listening to him as I watched the world go by outside the tinted window of the limo. My attention snaps to him completely at the mention of his brother's name, my eyes finding him gazing out of the opposite window.

A few minutes later, I realize that he's not planning to say anything else and calmly wait until we get to our destination.


End file.
